Street roots., October 11, 2013, Page 6, Image 6

Street roots
Oct. 11, 2013
Scraps of Paper
by Ed Edmo
it smells
like dried ink
i pull open
dusty old blue
shoe box
in attic
found folded
protected pages
of the past
spilled with tear-rusty
words:
mom says
it’s for the kids
she stays
dad threatens
to go
to Idaho
A man in the
background
steps forward
BY ANN-DERRICK GAILLOT
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
esterday was one of those days,” says
Street Roots vendor Theodore Sears
as we sit down to talk. He recounts
how that day his cart full of his belongings
tipped over and spilled out onto the
sidewalk. As he bent down to gather his
things, a man came out of his house and
yelled at him, harassing him to “clean up his
junk.”
Theodore admits the event isn’t a rare
one for him. “A turtle carries its home on
Y
mom writes
back on envelope
go
dad answers
for the kids
i’ll stay
i remember
messenger older brother
carrying our future on
scraps of paper
somewhere i cried
Theodore Sears
its back,” he tells me. “Houseless people
carry theirs in their head and their heart.
Their house is what they carry with them.”
Upon meeting Theodore, one of the first
things I notice about him is his positive
attitude, despite the disappointing event he
relates to me. The next thing I notice is his
collection of buttons he displays on- his
jacket. One proclaims his love for CB radio,
another, featuring the cartoon cat Garfield,
represents his love for comics. “Consent is
Sexy” reads one. When I ask about it he
says, “I thought ‘Consent, yes! What a great
concept’ and consent is sexy.” Another
«
button represents his love for vegan
chocolate — though he admits he is not a
vegan.
Theodore describes himself as a “man in
the background” who came from humble
beginnings. He sees his life’s experiences as
what allows him to sympathize with others
so easily and champion society’s underdogs.
“I grew up with the concept already there
to give back to people who have nothing at
all,” he says.
He credits his compassion as what first
led him to buy an issue of Street Roots. It
was on that day Theodore learned about the
vendor program, paid his first visit to the
VENDOR WORK ADS
A helping hand, inside or out, reasonable
rates. Larry Montgomery. 503-875-6487
Dog walker; House cleaner; caregiver.
Dog lover who is honest, sober and
reliable. Rate: Private treaty. Eileen V.
(message) 503-228-5657
Vendors are regular contributors to
Street Roots content, as columnists,
poets and artists.
Look for your favorite vendor's writings
in each edition o f the paper.
Need a worker? Can do almost anything,
light or heavy. References supplied. $10
an hour, four-hour min. Ask for Cassidy
Morse, 503-228-5657 (SR office), or 503-
875-6504 (cell).
Answers to puzzles on page 15
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P H O T O BY C O LE M E R K E L
Street Roots office and registered as a
vendor. That was nearly one year ago. “It’s
a nice way to meet people,” he says about
his job. “Be out, feel good about myself
instead of feeling depressed about my
situation. ... Working hard is good. It’s all
I’ve known.”
He was born in Gresham, and says he has
lived all over the state of Oregon. With a
laugh he says of his home state, “It takes a
lot of nut jobs to make a good pie and
Oregon is a pecan pie.” Even with all there
is to love in Oregon, for Theodore, Portland
will always be a favorite, especially no^y due
to the city’s growth and increased diversity.
“I’d say Portland is like one of those
organic smoothies. It takes a lot of
vegetables to make a good smoothie. It
takes a lot of different people to make a
good city. I think we’ve got a good thing
going here, currently.”
However, along with Theodore’s obvious
Portland pride come his reservations about
its future. For Theodore, along with many
others, Portland’s unforgiving joT market
takes much away from its livability. “It’s
kind of like a battle of the fittest,” he says.
“Only the strongest will survive. That’s how
it feels in th e job markeTstSmetimes.”
A father of two, Theodore looks forward
to helping start his own organization in the
future. It would be a community-based
organization that would empower neighbors
to support one another in family matters.
“It’s neighbors helping families stay
together.” Additionally, he has recently
gotten a part-time job as a handyman. If you
are lucky enough to catch Theodore on his
many travels around the area be sure to
stop and say hi. A little kindness goes a long
way, and as Theodore says, “We’ve got to be
good to one another.”